


Bark and Bite

by goodnight_dog



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A/B/O, Abuse, Alpha Eren, Alpha Erwin, Alpha Marco, Alpha Mike, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Beta Furlan, Beta Hange, Beta Nanaba, Beta mikasa, Explicit Sexual Content, Frottage, M/M, Omega Isabel, Omega Jean, Omega Kuchel, Omega Levi, PWP, Power Kink, Prostate Milking, Size Kink, Violence, omega armin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-07-24 16:26:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7515109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodnight_dog/pseuds/goodnight_dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[A/B/O Dystopian AU]</p>
<p>Run. That's what they said when the bombs first hit. Run and do not look back. Abandon your heritage and your class systems, abandon hope unless you run. Levi ran far and fast from his pack, only to find himself more lost that he'd ever been before. In the height of winter, the midst of his heat, and a town lost in time, he is directionless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So as the third work (Elfling will continue at some other point) this will be an ABO because I love the dynamic and I NEED more ABO Eruri in my life. Prepare for a feels-fest, I won't go easy on your hearts <3
> 
> Tumblr: acronyhcal-levi

_He swings the torch around, fire dancing dangerously close to his face, but it's the only protection he has left now against the encroaching shadows. Her corpse lays in the snow, peppered in the cold flakes as they fall. In a last ditch effort to defend his den – or what is left of it – he screams into the yawning blackness. The things that wait there snarl at him, pacing around the edge of where the fire can reach, waiting for it to die. Then they will strike. The dark winter will have him; he'll be dead, just like her._

_One dares crawl from the forest._

_A human with bottomless eyes that somehow still held hunger and rage as they lock onto Levi. They hold him frozen with terror, peering so deep inside him he can feel their rooting heat in his core. The creatures have tailed the dull beginnings of his scent and her blood, hungry to claim another in the night._

_"Stay back!" he yells, swiping at the crawling creature which only hisses at him, "Stay away from her!"_

_The others jeer and stamp their feet in chaotic rhythm, ready for the hunt, because the Omega's defence is futile. A corpse will serve him no safety, but they know he is too stubborn to leave her there, bare to the world and its cruel winter._

_"Stay back, you fuckers!" he cries out when two more slink from the shadows, "I'm warning you! I'll burn this whole fucking forest down!"_

_They laugh at that; loud, cracking laughter that echoes between the trees and sends nails raking down his spine._

_They laugh because he can't burn the forest down, not when it's where she lays. He can't burn down the place in which he belongs. She is a part of him, as are they._

 

\- - -

 

Breath rises in a ghostly mist from his lips when he wakes up, the small gasp at having being shaken from his nightmare the only sound for miles. Sleeping with only his clothes and the tartan throw to separate him from the floor sends tiny shards of ice and pain flying through him as he rises. Above his head go his arms, ripples of cracking sound where his cold joints readjust to the world.

It has always been surreal, waking up to this. The town laid a little beyond the woods, and he'd stumbled across it three nights ago. So far, nothing had turned up. No food, no batteries, no weapons. Nothing. Everything was upturned, ransacked, and Levi knew it had gone to the nearby pack. Four miles. He was dangerously in their territory but he was desperate.

In the shell of an old pharmacy, he crouches behind the counter, where his temporary shelter was made beneath the desk, to light a fire with the frozen bark he'd hacked from a tree in the town's cemetery. It was hard to burn, but when the wood finally began smouldering, Levi gushes a sigh of relief and holds his gloved hands close.

It takes a few, agonising minutes before little flames began licking up among the bark shavings, enough so that Levi could heat a snow pouch and let the water drip into a steel cup. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. He plans to move on soon, as soon as he can bear the thought of moving further away from her, because god knows he needs to get to more woodland. The compound bow and quiver of crafted arrows had served him well enough when food was necessary, but since she left, he hasn't had the power within him to draw a single one.

Once the warm water has flowed enough into his gut and thawed some of the ice and sorrow, he decides it's high time he continue through the town. The nearby pack may be on his scent already, but once he was at the river, their territory ended. He could make it that far before sundown, at least. He's ran further before.

Hiking the bag across his shoulders, the quiver tucked between it and his back, he stomps out the fire. Smoke coils as it rises, and Levi gazes down at it.

At each campsite, it felt as though a little piece of him is left behind in the embers of dying fires, and as he breaches the door of his three day home back into the white-washed landscape, a small part of his will is taken from him. But he has to keep going; it's the only way to survive.

The snow is unforgiving; not fast or sleeting, but heavy and burdening his shoulders and hood quickly. Though wrapped in enough clothes to keep warm, nose and mouth covered and eyes narrowed against the wind, he still feels the crawling trepidation along his spine. Beneath his boots the earth crunches.

Life taught him never to take the open road, but it's the only way he can walk right now. The rest of the town is in pieces, so all he can hope for is that the open road doesn't betray him.

Even after two hours, the town barely changes. House, shop, house, shop, house, house, shop. All in tatters – some not even standing anymore, just piles of brick and brittle. He clutches the bow, but it begins to burden his hands as tingles of fear run right to his finger tips. The wind is against him the whole way, and the snow provides a padded-room effect so that the silence rings loudly between his ears.

He floats in his own thoughts; travels back to her corpse, curled up in the snow. Still – so very still. Eyelashes, dark and thick, resting on her cheeks limply as if she's only sleeping, but the pallor of her skin and bluing lips speak otherwise. Her hair fanned out on the snow, stark and black, every bit the same as his. He was a little piece of her, and she never let pieces of herself go.

Levi did. Levi failed.

He comes to a halt on an open road leading to a church. Should he? Perhaps forgiveness is what he needs right now? In an empty town, the only possible ears left, no matter what he believed in, might be a necessary comfort.

The same question always remained: did we abandon God, or has God abandoned us?

He hitches his bag, grips the bow harder, and walks on by, heading out by the same road. On his travels, he came across many churches – even slept in a couple with her. She always felt more comforted knowing the cross was hoisted above their heads, and would never sleep peacefully without one hand holding his, the other across her chest where the gold necklace lay.

She never lost her faith, but Levi did.

The chuch looms as he gets closer, but he daren't glance up to it again. The eyes of the higher beings may be looking upon him with a scowl, but he was born into the world without their favour, the same as she. Omega; a tool, a vessel, a novelty. Not like the Alphas, the powerful and confident. Not like the Betas, untroubled by the touch of nature. He is the painful, harrowing middle.

So deep in his own thoughts, it takes much too long for him to realise the wind has changed its call.

Only several steps from the church, and he grinds to a halt. There, among the sharp scent of frost and the old smells that used to make this town it's own, is the scent of people.

_Four Alphas. Old, older than me. Veterans. Trained. Metal – guns. Chemicals – tranquiliser. East, two minutes away. Closing in. Hide. Hide. Hide_.

One thing he may someday thank God for are his unparralleled senses, and it seems almost cruel that the first available refuge is the church, but he can't deny it. He has to hide. Smother his scent. Blend in.

The whole place is untouched when he gets inside, but there's little time to look past the creaking pews and berry carpet. He bolts for the table up a flight of steps, the drapes still there – undisturbed. It's almost eerie how time stops inside these places, how when Levi ducks beneath the table and prepares for the worst, there are still stocks of candles under there, ready to be lit for those who have passed.

For a fleeting moment, he thinks of lighting one for her, but their scents knock him from the daydreaming with a sharp slap. They're so close now, he can hear the routine fall of boots beyond the doors of the church. There's no way they haven't smelt him – they walk with purpose, angry and determined, and Levi holds his breath.

Seconds swim by in which he can hear the roar of his own heartbeat, and after the agony of waiting, the doors slam open. With gentle precision, he slips an arrow from the quiver, knowing he'd get one good shot in before chaos broke out. One shot to kill or at least seriously maim one of those Alphas.

Shock tactic – she taught him it.

Do not barter, do not hesitate, do not show pause. That's when a predator strikes. In the split second you show you may consider an alternative, they will bear down upon you like a thousand storms.

Kill one. Shock the others into silence. Kill the rest if need be.

"Who's there?!"

The voice booms through the place, rising like thunder into the tapering ceilings. They're inside now; Levi has no escape. He's cornered himself, beneath the table, and probably incapable of taking a good shot with a steady aim without showing himself to them.

"We can smell you, Omega," the shout brews a whimper in his chest, but he silences it, "We aren't here to hurt you. We can take you somewhere safe."

Levi's eyes are rooted on the carpet, and he can't help but tremble. They sound like the creatures that came for her; they sound like betrayers. But... safety?

"We are from the pack just north of here," calls that same voice, "We scented your distress and came to find you. You're about to go into heat; we can give you a saferoom until it passes so you can be on your way again."

A saferoom? That sounded – ironically – like heaven. His body goes lax, grip on the bow loosening, as he contemplates. Best case scenario? They're telling the truth and wish to help him. Worst? He's shot dead. How he wishes it was such an easy decision to make.

"Omega, you need help. We can offer you it."

They're close now; so close he can hear their breaths. He wishes the creatures would just leave him be for once – that they'd let him forget her and her corpse and disappear back into the night. He knows now if he looks up one of them will probably be stood there, gun trained at his head. He can feel the eyes upon him.

Now or never. He should accept his fate.

The house of God is the perfect place for a miracle, he might consider later, because when he looks up, it is not a barrel or a uniformed Alpha locked onto him.

It's a pair of green eyes, wild from where they hide behind the long drapes in front of the stained glass windows. Witch's eyes, and by God is Levi bewitched.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trusting Alphas is not something Levi does easily, especially when they try to mask him with their scent. But with four potential weapons trained on him, what choice does he have?

A finger rises, placed over lips that Levi can't see because of the shadows, but he understands. He shrinks back further beneath the table, tucking under his feet and dropping his aim, letting the bow hang loose in his grip. The eyes shift, and a body emerges from the drapes, crawling the small way to the table so he is out of view. And it's not who Levi expected. He had been so focused on the four come to catch him, he never so much as caught hint that this Alpha was here. Levi's pupils bloat with fear when the Alpha forces himself into the spare space beneath the table. From the bag balanced carefully on his back, he unravels a blanket, and Levi feels his gut lurch with bile when the stranger rubs it against his neck. 

"Here," he whispers, voice smooth but cut around the edges – the hint of an accent, "Stay down."

Every part of Levi wants to scream as he offers out the blanket – it reeks of Alpha den, the musk he's come to hate – but what choice does he have? He's in a dead end, and if those four people are lying about the safety they can offer, the barrel of a tranquilising gun is the only way out. 

Swallowing back both his pride and a rising retch, he covers himself in the blanket, though it only makes his stomach churn harder. The stranger offers a smile, crooked but sincere, before stepping out from beneath the table.

_This guy is insane._

"Hey, guys, I appreciate the wake-up call, but do you mind?" he grumbles, sounding decidedly tired, and Levi glimpses him rubbing his head for effect, "Oh, it's you lot. What're you doing out here?"

"Jaeger?" one of the Alphas crows, "Jesus fucking Christ, you scared the hell out of us. We thought you were an Omega."

"Wow, charming," huffs the Alpha Jaeger, stepping down towards them, "No Omegas around here, though the one I met last night was... wild."

Levi shudders. As fitting excuse as it was – an Omega deep enough in heat could leave a heat trace on an Alpha they had sex with – it still makes him scarily aware of the fact that this Alpha could be the same as the rest. Same intentions, more polite mask.

"You dog, Jaeger, honestly. I thought you were mated?"

"Sometimes you just can't keep your hands to yourself," the stranger grins, and Levi feels chills creeping back into his body. He hopes this is still all for show.

"How come you're so far out? Don't your pack usually hunt in the east side of the woods?" grumbles another voice, clearly suspicious. Levi finds himself holding his breath.

"We do, but I've heard people mentioning elk coming back into the west. Rabbit and trout only does you so good, y'know?"

They're relaxed; Levi can smell it. One sits down, he can tell by the sounds. Another takes to sniffing around the pews for anything they can steal. The leader, the one who first spoke, is close to Jaeger, their scents mingling.

"Ah, I see. We're headed out that way later. You have any luck?" the leader asks.

"None. Bastards are either too clever for my traps or too far out. The pack will have to make do with what I can catch in our woods and rivers until the caribou begin their migration. If you have less luck than me, tell Pack Leader Zackly you're more than welcome to join us on the hunt," Alpha Jaeger speaks slowly, and Levi can imagine his eyes travelling around the group, a disturbance between them quelled when he makes the offer.

"We'll make sure he knows. Be safe out there, Jaeger," are the last words spoken by the lead Alpha before he calls his men to retreat.

Levi does not breathe again – doesn't even dare – until the church doors close after him. And then, he does not let himself break stride.

He leaps up from beneath the table, the sliding whirr of his bow being drawn making the Alpha twitch in place. His arrow is trained on the nape of Jaeger's neck, cheekbone feeling the cold cut of the bow's frame as he lines up the shot perfeclty, not even wavering. His stance isn't threatening; it's promising. If this stranger makes a wrong move, Levi will kill him.

"You know, 'thank you' is the common response when someone saves your ass," the Alpha chuckles, turning around so casually as though there wasn't a weapon now locked on the spot between his eyes. 

"Get the fuck out of here," the Omega hisses, voice straining as he pulls his aim tighter, "Get away from me."

"I believe you have something of mine," the Alpha smiles, gesturing to the throw still around Levi's shoulders.

And there was Levi's first mistake.

In the split second he takes to rip the blanket from his back, the Alpha has his weapon drawn. How Levi had missed the M9 strapped to his thigh, he wasn't ready to admit to just yet. The Omega and Alpha were dangers to one another, but Levi was far more of a danger to himself.

"I don't want to hurt you," the Alpha sighs, but doesn't relieve his aim, "I'll be on my way, I just need you to lay down your weapon until I leave. I've turned my back on enough people to know you can trust very few lone wolves you come across."

"You think I'm alone by choice?" Levi spits, stepping around the table and advancing to the top of the steps, "My den was raided. People died. I'm all there is left."

Something changes in those green eyes, the fire dimming and the gun lowers from in front of the Alpha's face. Now, he is truly looking at Levi, like he knows him. The Omega tightens his grip on the bow to a dangerous extent, grimacing when the plied string cuts into the soft flesh around his knuckles, reopening old wounds.

"You... you're from the Ackerman clan, aren't you?"

The name sends violent trembles through Levi. Skin paling, he takes two, angry steps toward the Alpha, barking loudly, "How do you know of that name?! Who are you?!"

The tables have turned, because it's the Alpha who lays down his weapon instead. Both hands lift into the air once the gun clatters softly onto the hardwood between the pews. He takes several, slow paces backwards. He knows something; Levi can see the information balanced on the tip of his tongue, but he cannot bring himself to say it. Instead, he only breathes out a name.

"Levi."

The bow is up once more, two more steps towards Jaeger, eyes dangerously narrow. Aiming to kill. He can feel every hackle raise, every instinct on high alert, every sense beyond his possible comprehension. The heat is building within him, and he knows it will overcome him soon. He can't let this Alpha be around him when he does, and he has to cross territory borders.

"How do you know my name?" Levi growls, "Tell me! Don't think I won't kill you!"

"Your name is Levi, isn't it?" the Alpha breathes out, looking beside himself in disbelief, "I know you! Well, not you, but I know of you. I know the Ackerman clan."

Levi is dangerously close to letting his arrow fly, and finds himself snarling as he aims. What concerned him more than his approaching heat is the fact that the Alpha is seemingly entirely unaffected. The others mentioned a mate, but even so...

"I saw a woman, in the woods when I was hunting elk," Jaeger breathes out, "Dead... but, was she-"

"My cousin," Levi growls, "Mikasa. She was attacked by creatures out in those woods and bled out. I've been with her since this all began."

The Alpha goes quiet, face dropping into one of utter despair. He tries to speak a few times, but manages nothing more than the beginnings of sentences. 

"I'll ask you again," Levi snarls, "How do you know my name?"

"One of your pack, she's with us," the Alpha is more sincere in how he speaks now, "She is friends with my mother – helped us out when my family was in danger. She's still with us. She... she looks like you actually. Well-same hair and slightly darker eyes but-"

"Ku...Kuchel," Levi practically whimpers, "Is... is her name Kuchel?"

"Yes," Jaeger scowls, "You know her?"

"She's my mother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few comments mentioned people guessing who it was who died - how many of you guessed right? :D I've seen so many fics where Kuchel is dead and Mikasa and Levi know nothing of each other, so time to play on that family name a little :D Sorry! It had to be one of them and I much prefer exploring the possibility of Levi and Kuchel's relationship were she alive :)
> 
> BUT, I plan on bringing Mikasa back in a really, really unexpected way - do not fear!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi bond over stories of their mothers and their homes. But when it comes time for Levi to admit the truth to his long-lost mother, he find himself plunged back into despair and guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have said you're excited to see how Mika comes back, so I'm highly considering posting a super-early hint in the next chapter~ We shall see :)

"So... you're telling me, you found an Alpha though you were tracking the heat scent of an Omega, and found... no Omega?" Zackly growls, and two of the Alphas lower their heads. 

"He slept with an Omega he found, sir," reports Alpha Dok, glaring at the two that cower angrily, "We were tracking the wrong scent. It was Jaeger, from Smith's refuge pack."

"You tracked the wrong scent?" echos the older Alpha, clenching a fist around the arm of his chair, "And you expect me to be glad it was only Jaeger?"

"Sir, we had to make sure it wasn't a wandering Omega in heat," argues Alpha Dreyse, "You know how rare packless Omegas are, and the Red Rooms have had no new entrants since early last Spring. The Alphas are getting restless."

"To hell with them!" Zackly crows, "I employed you because you were the best of the best! I expect you to protect this metropolis we have created, but you track the wrong scent, and didn't even pick up on Jaeger's? As strong a heat trace as you may have clocked onto, you should've known it was Jaeger, or at least not an Omega. Get out of my sight, all of you. I'll consider your positions in the morning."

 

*

 

"We used to live in France, when I was very young," Levi explains as the two walk, headed from the town, "When my father left, I was only three, so we moved to New Orleans. Mum opened a tea shop and when I was old enough, I got to help."

"I remember her saying," the Alpha – who introduced himself as Eren – nodded, "She always makes two teas in the morning. One for herself, and one for you, in hope you'd come home."

Levi's heart clenches at that, hand tightening around the bow to keep the happy whimper in his throat. Nuzzling down into the cover over his mouth and nose, he smiles. The thought of seeing her again – even the fact she was alive – made his stomach flip excitedly.

"It's been three years... She-she went to help at the medical shelter. The hospital was the target for attack in our city, so they turned the stadium into a makeshift one. When the second bombs hit, and the marines landed, she was there, and I was home with Mika. We ran. We... we tried to find her, but the place was deserted when we found it. Bodies everywhere..."

"Hey," Eren cuts him off abruptly, and Levi glances up to find the brunet scowling down at him, "Quit thinking about it, okay? You got through three years, just you and Mikasa, and your mother will be very proud of your for surviving so long. Mikasa just... it was an accident. Two people cannot defend themselves from those things out there."

Levi falls quiet for a while; Eren speaks as if he knew what those things were, but that's impossible, right? Only Levi sees them; only Levi knows that they exist. He decides not to ask, though. Eren is right – he shouldn't focus on the past, because that has led him to now, on the way to meet his mother again. 

"I grew up in Germany," Eren offers, a small smile on his mouth, "My dad was a private doctor because the place we lived in had no medical centre, only a pharmacy. And mum ran the Sunday school. That's probably why your mum gets along so well with her. They run a school for the pups in the refuge now, and service for those who still have faith."

"She's still the same then..."

Eren looks almost hurt by that statement, as though he had been acquainted with someone entirely different to who Levi knew. Kuchel's faith never impeded on Levi – she never forced him to believe or to submit to the God she had cherished for so long, neither did Mikasa, but Levi knows she's grasping at straws now.

"She's always been the one to keep hope alive," Levi smiles softly, and Eren can't help but watch him as he talks, "My grandfather, on my dad's side, was diagnosed with cancer a year before the war broke out. With the government making no effort to hide what was going to happen, she hosted a fundraiser for us to fly him to Florida and swim with dolphins. He didn't want to be alive when the wars began, so he said no to chemotherapy. He died two days after we came back, but at his funeral the photos and videos of us swimming made everyone smile. They laughed at me freaking out over touching a stingray, but man, those things are slimy..."

"She's just the same then," Eren nods back, a glance from Levi prompting him to elaborate, "One of our mated pairs, Jean and Marco, had a stillborn pup last month. It was painful for the whole pack – only Mike and Nanaba have given pups in the past six years. She organised the entire funeral and service, and we sent the pup out onto the lake in a small boat. She said God would protect him with the peace of the water, and he'd be returned to the earth."

Levi gnaws down on his lip, forcing the whimpers back down his throat. It was painful to listen to, but a blessed relief that she had not let go of herself.

War... it changes people. It changed Levi. He was a good kid, perhaps a little too attached to his mother, but that's the way he liked it. He helped her with the shop when he could - when he felt in less of a foul mood. And, when his plans to be a social worker caved, along with the order of the world, she was right there to be his crutch.

He'd become an animal now. Everyone had.

During war, when government is destroyed and chaos reigns, you'd think classes would be a thing of the past. That people would abandon prejudice and discrimination of all kinds and work together, but Levi has seen it flourish. Not just between Alpha, Omega and Beta, but among all kinds of people. It sickened him.

"We have about three more hours walk, you up for that?" Eren asks, noticing the Omega stumble on rubble.

"I want to see her," he grits out, resolute, "It's been too long."

 

\- - -

 

"Armin? Armin!"

Carla's voice made the small Omega drop his book and dart for the door instantly, peering out into the dimly lit hallway. When she shouts for him again, Armin hurries towards the communal area, finding her stood among a cluster of Betas and Omegas. Scents were so spiked and excited, he couldn't discern if there was something to be worried about.

"Armin- Armin, Eren's back," Carla chirps happily, catching his hand and leading him off from the others gathered at the railing overlooking the foyer. 

They'd gathered when the doors were flung open, Levi stumbling in and falling to his knees, followed by Eren calling his name worriedly. The Omega was so ravaged with heat, he could not even stand, and was still on his knees when Armin and Carla arrived.

"Eren," Armin gasps out with a smile, rushing to his Alpha.

Levi manages to lift his eyes long enough to see. The blonde – smaller in stature, but fair for an Omega – grabs at Eren as strong arms wrap around him. The Alpha stoops to snuffle happily at his mate's neck, the two covering themselves in one another's scent, and Levi certainly doesn't miss the grimace the Omega gives him when he detects a scent that shouldn't be there. The raven Omega ducks his head in shame at having rubbed off on someone else's mate.

"Hello there," greets a woman, and Levi lifts his eyes to find a gaze very akin to Eren's, "I'm Carla, Eren's mother. Who are you, little one?"

"Levi," he murmurs, letting himself be helped up when Eren's mother offers out her hands. 

The echo of his names comes from within a throng of people, Omegas and Betas parting to let through a woman who Levi barely recognises, if at all. She stands taller than he remembers – or perhaps that's because of him hunching in fear a little– and the tumbling raven hair is pulled back behind her ears.

"My... my Levi?" she whimpers.

Carla retreats from Levi and into her son's arms, petting his hair and checking him for wounds. Everyone else has fallen silent when the dark-haired Omega approaches her child. They hold their breaths and watch on, expressions hopeful, as she reaches to touch him.

Levi flinches at first – her hands feel so familiar, and yet different – but doesn't pull away. In fact, he leans into that warm, soft palm that once caressed his hair until he fell asleep, nuzzling at her. He drinks in his mother's scent. Not even Mikasa's came close to it, despite the blood between them. _She still smells the same,_ he considers when the honeyed milk and deep forest scent comes to him.

"My little Levi."

Had it been anyone else, the young Omega would've snapped and hissed at being called little, but with his mother, all he can do is whimper and step into her arms. He's only just tall enough to press his ear to her chest, but to feel and hear the thud of her heart so close to him after so long makes him forget.

He forgets his heat, forgets the pack staring at him and, if only for a few moments, forgets Mikasa.

"You came home," Kuchel cries into his scalp, clutching Levi close, "I never gave up hope, Levi. I never gave up on you."

"I know, mum..." Levi whispers, sliding his arms around her, never wanting to part, "I never gave up fighting."

But he did, didn't he? He gave up when those creatures came to kill Mikasa, because he was outnumbered and overpowered. And when they crawl their way into his skull as he sleeps, he doesn't fight. It's pointless. They'll always be there.

"Where is Mikasa?"

Oh god... the question he truly did not want to hear. He swallows a sudden lump in his throat and tries once- twice- three times to speak, but only muffled sobs escape. That's all the answer Kuchel needs from him. She holds him tighter, presses her thin lips to Levi's cold forehead, and soothes quietly,

"It's alright, Levi. You did your best, baby. You made me very proud."

"She-she's dead, mum-she's dead because of... because of me," the littler Omega hiccups.

"No, sweetheart," Kuchel hums, giving the best smile she can as she tilts up Levi's head, two pairs of tempered steel eyes meeting, "You fought so hard for so long to keep both of you alive. I know what is out in those woods, and the fact you're here is a miracle. You're my little miracle, Levi. You always have been."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pack Leader calls for an audience with Levi, who will find that things in this wasteland the world has become are a lot more sinister and intent on death than he originally thought.

"Levi Ackerman?"

The sharp sound of his name in such a deep, rugged voice makes the rabble of excitement as others greet the Omega halt abruptly. People part – more hurriedly than they did with Kuchel – to reveal a towering Alpha who peers at Levi. The raven doesn't miss how his nose almost crinkles in disgust, and the uncomfortable heat of fear settles in his stomach when the man instructs,

"Pack Leader Erwin wants to speak with you. Follow me."

Levi glances fearfully to his mother who stands with Carla and Eren, seeking her guidance, but all she can do is nod to him. He knows he can't refuse the Alpha's direction so, with a ducked head, he follows. No one else does. People remain in the foyer, watching in an eerie silence as the small, raven Omega hurries along behind the looming Alpha.

There is complete silence between the two of them, too, and Levi bites his lip, considering if he should talk or not. There's something about this man – something than unnerves him greatly, though his scent is thickly warm, comforting. But not once does he question Levi, or even just speak to him. He only guides the raven through winding hallways, a labyrinth even, until they reach a door – no different to the rest – that the Alpha gestures for him to enter.

"Thank you..." Levi murmurs, daring to glance up at him before letting himself inside.

Beyond the door is not what he expected. His expectations built upon the sparsely-decorated foyer and it's monochrome colours make him startle a little once in the room. The whole place was... warm. The fire brewing and gargling in a carved hearth cast a glow through the place that pushes a relaxed drowsiness through Levi. A feeling of safety.

His eyes travel around slowly, soaking in his surroundings; bookshelves, mahogany furnature, piles of papers and opened books. He keeps on looking, almost leisurely, until his eyes land on the person sat behind the desk, peering down at a document.

A blonde Alpha. Not as big as the one who led him to the room, but big enough to make Levi take the tiniest step back. It's not his size that's the most intimidating to Levi, not by a long shot. It isn't even the sharp blue of his eyes when they rise to meet Levi's. It's the fact that this Alpha, the Pack Leader of this den, has no scent...

"Ah, you must be Levi, Kuchel's son," the Alpha smiles, and Levi swallows nervously when he rises to his feet, "My name is Erwin, Leader of this pack."

When he gestures for the Omega to take a seat in one of the low leather chairs, Levi does not even consider disobeying or pausing. Something about the low, mellow rumble of his voice commands respect, but also soothes Levi's fraying nerves.

"No need to look so worried," Erwin chuckles, taking his seat once more.

"Your guard dog is intimidating," huffs the Omega.

He is not nearly quick enough to catch his sharp tongue, and immediately feels a dark cold in his stomach as he realises how disrespectful he must've sounded to the Pack Leader. But Erwin only grins, nodding along with Levi's comment, and chuckles,

"Mike is a man of few words, but he's no danger. No one here is, I promise."

"Where exactly... _is_ here?" Levi murmurs, sitting a little straighter now that his fear has been settled.

"It's a refuge," the Alpha begins, leaning back in his chair, "I and the other veterans set this place up as a safety net for those who were running from Zackly's pack, or who simply needed a bed for the night."

"Zackly's pack? The ones from the city?" the Omega scowls.

_"_ Yes," Erwin replies, slowly, "Do you know them?".

"They caught onto my scent when I was in the town, but Eren managed to convince them they followed an Omega's scent on him."

The Alpha nods slowly, and Levi can tell by the look on his face – a distressed state of thought – that there is something he is considering in saying. Levi is still hanging firmly on the fact that he smells nothing about this Alpha – not even the hint of a scent – and, like Eren, he is seemingly unaffected by the broiling heat pheromones Levi is producing. Despite a slightly shaky leg, he doesn't let it show outwardly.

"Your mother mentioned a cousin; where are they?"

_I'm so sick of being asked about her_ , Levi thinks bitterly, but he knows the Alpha asks with only good intent.

"She's dead," he mutters, "She was attacked."

"Attacked by what?" Erwin presses, leaning forward onto the desk, "Levi, there are things you have to know about this place and about the people in it before I give you clearance to stay. I don't want to be harsh, but it is my duty to ensure the safety of all the people in my den."

"I know..." Levi almost whispers, finding his head ducked a little as the Alpha speaks to him more firmly now, "I don't know what attacked her. They were... humans, but with black eyes and this... weird, pale skin. I didn't see much – it was night when we were attacked."

"And how did you escape them?"

"I... I ran. I didn't know where we were at the time, but I knew if I stuck around, they'd kill me. I kept running in one direction until I hit the town. They didn't follow me there..."

Trailing off into silence, Levi finds cogs whirring in his own head. How had he not remembered? They didn't follow him into the town, and yet when he was running, they were right on his tail. Pieces float in his head, but the puzzle still isn't formed, and it makes him scrunch up his nose and brow in frustration.

"Levi," the Alpha calls his attention back up, "I'm about to tell you information that, should you take to anyone beyond this pack, could jeopardise us. I have to know now, before I tell you, if I can trust you with it."

"Me?" Levi practically squeaks out, "Why me? I just got here..."

"Because you have come into contact with the creatures we are studying," Erwin murmurs, "Your cousin was killed by them and, if what we suspect is true, it could end up much worse. Levi, I have to know right now, can I trust you with this information?"

"Yes."

Levi isn't sure why he said yes – he doesn't know this Alpha and, in all honesty, doesn't entirely trust him. But Erwin's voice and gaze is serious enough to let the Omega know that this information is important, and detrimental to his pack. If Levi is to be a part of it, he has to act the part.

"Those creatures are Zackly's idea of guard dogs. He and his associates have been developing a serum that turns Alphas, Omegas and Betas alike into mindless, scentless warriors. We call them The Others. They are neither human nor mutant, but a horrifying combination of the two. He has been building an army to protect the mountain of gold he sits on.

"Myself and the other veterans have been studying The Others since we first established this refuge, until we managed to get our hands on this serum. Our resident doctor, Hanji, was a biomedical researcher before the war began, and they managed to identify the key components of the serum and replicate it. They'll be able to explain the science of it better than I can, so I'll leave that to them.

"For now all we know is this: only two people have effectively been given the serum, and neither of them belong to Zackly. Eren, as you may have noticed, is able to easily resist the scents of others, but he was mated before Hanji began their experiments on him, so he is responsive to his mate's heat pheromones. But there is still so much we don't know, and are afraid to know, about the extents of the serum, and how Zackly intends to use it now that his other subjects have failed and become The Others."

Levi soaks it in, processing, scowling. Many things made sense; The Others' likeness to humans, Eren's resistance to his heat, the lack of other people in the town. But then again, many things still do not. Erwin leaves the Omega to think, watching patiently – almost intrigued by how Levi so quietly contemplates the information.

"How do you keep this place safe, if it's in the woods with The Others around?" he asks after a long while of silence.

"We have patrols, but few people go beyond the refuge unless absolutely necessary. Eren and Mike are leaders of the hunting parties we send out, but now that Eren has successfully taken to the serum, he has offered to go out alone more often than not," Erwin explains, voice softer than before, as though he is still worried of startling Levi with so much information.

Levi knows there will be more questions, and feels a couple spring into his throat, but before he can, a sharp static noise and beeping interrupts his thoughts. Erwin lifts the radio from his desk, clicking the button to let his respondant know he's heard their call.

"I'm sorry we couldn't talk longer," the Alpha smiles down to Levi, "But duty calls and their name is Hanji."

Levi can't help the soft snort he lets out, getting to his feet when Erwin does before remembering abruptly the one question that has stuck with him. He pauses, almost ready to leave, and glances back up at the Alpha.

"You said two people took the serum, but neither belong to Zackly," he murmurs, sceptically, "Who was the other?"

The blonde stops in his rooting through the stack of papers from the desk, but doesn't quite look up to Levi yet. His shoulders rise and fall languidly, eyes falling shut – even if only for a moment – before he finally lifts them to the Omega. Levi feels something akin to a hand clasping roughly at his heart, squeezing air from his lungs at the saddened, longing look Erwin gives him. The look of someone who lost a great part of themselves.

"Me," he sighs, "It was me. I and the veterans used to be part of Zackly's pack. He removed my scent glands and gave me the serum. I wasn't successful. I can take a scent, but not give one, so he cast me out."

"I-I'm so... so sorry," Levi whispers.

Fear coils in his gut, alongside the sadness that gnaws at him too. He knows this Alpha, but not enough to warrant learning this. This was something personal, something Erwin clearly still struggles with – Levi can tell by the way the Alpha's expression darkens a little.

"No need to be," Erwin shakes his head, "After all, I'm not rendered useless like Zackly's soldiers. But no Omega wants an Alpha who cannot mark them. That's why I had Hanji change the serum before they gave it to Eren, so that Armin would be protected."

The words of a leader bruised, but not beaten. Levi can sense – even if Erwin can give no scent – the leader's sadness. He can't leave while the Alpha looks so lost, clearly swimming – drowning – in his memories.

"Eren saved me, back there," Levi says, more firm than he actually feels, "He brought me home to my mother who I thought was dead and you've offered me a new pack, a new family. I'll do all I can to make sure this refuge is protected; from The Others and from Zackly's pack. I promise."

The blue eyes cut from glaciers light up, a passionate fire the colour of flames in the hearth reflecting in them. That smile – sincere and yet so charming – curls the Alpha's mouth, and he straightens, back to his intimidating, or perhaps even alluring, height.

"I knew I could trust you, Levi. Your family truly have the hearts of warriors."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take a moment just to thank you guys for your comments! All the advice, opinions and compliments really inspire me to keep writing this story and make it the best I can for you all. 
> 
> PS: I promise the smut will come soon, but this isn't something I can rush. In a couple more chapters, I'll probably add a slow-burn tag, but don't lose faith! After all, Erwin's take of the serum was unsuccessful, so he's certainly more open to Omega scents ;) honhon


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his body giving into the pain and torture of a bent heat, Levi's mind leads him to think of one Alpha, and one Alpha only, with an outcome he never would've thought of.

A long while after Levi had left Erwin's company, he retreated into his mother's room and fell asleep with his head resting in her lap as she combs through his hair softly, pulling her fingernails lightly across his shaven scalp. In his sleep, he twitches and whines, hunching around himself whenever the thick chords of heat pulse through his body again. Kuchel can only grimace and hum soft words to him when he does – he had adamantly refused suppressents or remedies of any kind.

He knew after losing track of his cycle and running out of pills over half a year ago he was deep in a bent heat. Nothing short of being knotted could help him now, and Levi feels every nerve in his body ache and quiver with the need to be mated, to belong. And, God, he'd never admit it, but through his dazed moments of being awake when the fever became too much, he almost hopes he'd find Erwin sat at his side.

He hisses at himself, making Kuchel murmur soothingly to him, but he's grinding his teeth and scrunching up his face in an effort to forget the blonde. How could an Alpha so calm and placid – no less, without scent – have such a heavy effect on him, push a weight into the pit of his gut that would never leave, not even when the heat dulls for a few minutes.

"Baby? It's late, and you haven't eaten yet," Kuchel murmurs when her son jolts awake for the fifth time in two hours. From his sweating forehead, she smoothes the thin hair, letting him squint up into the meagre light of the room.

"Not hungry," he huffs, turning so he can nuzzle her stomach and hope the strong scent of their bloodties would help him forget the raging hormones.

"I'll bring you some up anyway, alright?" she smiles softly.

Slipping from beneath the shivering Omega, she leans to plant a kiss on his forehead and tuck a pillow to his stomach so he has something to curl around. She leaves silently, and Levi whimpers into that silence, burying his nose in the pillow to try and catch the remainder of her scent.

Somewhere in the minutes of quiet that followed, Levi fell back into a feverish slumber. Every part of him is bracing for the inevitable arrival of those creatures, for them to crawl from the tumbling darkness behind his eyes and wreak havoc with this vulnerable body.

Four minutes pass – feels like years – and they never come. He listens, intently, for the clack of their claws and the rumble of their growls, but nothing. The only noise is a distant voice, which he can only assume to be the real world seeping through to him in his restless state. It comes closer, he can tell, but it is without scent or body. He sees no one and nothing in the darkness. A darkness so tight to his face it's as though he's clenched shut his eyes and can't seem to open them again.

The first touch from hands he can't see makes his whole body rock and static buzzes up his spine, droning in the base of his skull. A hand, large and firm, cups the swell between his legs, presses hard and the heel of a palm kneads at him. He still can't see – he should be panicking by now – but all he can do is moan roughly into the empty space above him. The hand allows him to rock into it, gripping harder when Levi moans loudly enough for it.

Whoever is touching him, the barrier between them isn't lifting away anytime soon, and Levi finds himself sinking into the security that temporary blindness brings him. Until the wet heat of a tongue finds the spot below his ear, so close to the place he wants it. Curses brew in his chest and bubble up to his tongue, but he can't release them – he can only moan. The tongue traces his lines – the shell of his ear, down to where it tapers into a tough chord of his muscle and follows this into the hollow of his collar bones.

"Good boy."

The voice – it rumbles through him like thunder, bringing him to the teetering edge. And in that moment, he is denied. The hand and tongue disappear, but he feels no loss of touch, and his mortal body breathes a sigh of relief that he truly wasn't being touched. It at least dulls the heat a little, subdues him into sleeping easier. There's a loud thudding in the back of his mind which he can only assume is his heartbeat, and he lets the vibration of it soothe him, counting the seconds – oddly long – between beats.

"Good boy."

Though his body is tired and heat-ridden, the return of the voice makes Levi thrash madly, fighting the force – the weight on his chest that holds him down. Still no touch, no real touch, but it all feels so real.

"Pretty litle thing."

Those three words make the blindness fall away, but only knocks more breath from his lungs. The first thing he notices are his legs – more specifically, his knees. Trapped in the grip of firm, roughed hands that bend him so far he can see the scar of a bullet wound in his left knee cap. He follows the arms, how they ripple in strain and push his legs further apart, closer to his chest, up to a broad torso. There's no face to this creature, this man. It's shadowed from his view, and Levi curses himself because he knows precisely who he is imagining. Unable to feel what is happening – but knowing exactly what it is from the motions of the body on top of him – he lets himself indulge in roaming his gaze across the man.

From right shoulders down to the left obliques runs a long, winding scar. It's healed wrong, Levi can tell, probably reopened and infected multiple times, by the way the red beneath the healing tissue stretches and bulges from it. It'll heal white and potent. There's an impressive set of muscles that Levi admires with wide eyes, leading to tapering hips, veins running along a navel dusted in pale golden hair. All he can do is stare. Though he is only imagining it all, he can feel the effects of mating deep in his core – a winding, powerful emotion within him that he knows has only come about because this man is modelled after the same Alpha that Levi has only just met. God, he felt filthy.

"Levi!"

The call of his name makes him lurch, whimpering, moaning. It came from beyond what he could see, and he fights to escape the visions.

"Levi! Come on, wake up!"

And wake up he does. With a violent cry and his body shoots upright, defensive immediately. His hands have locked around someone else's, but when he glances up, it isn't his mother. _It's that damn Alpha._  
Erwin is frowning worriedly at the flushed Omega who tries desperately to hide his face. His close presence makes the raven nervous, more so that he could have been calling out, but he's trapped now.

"Are you alright? I thought your mother was staying with you," the Alpha hums softly, reaching out to lay the back of his hand against Levi's forehead, "God, you're burning up. Did you not take the suppressants Hanji delivered?"

"Don't want 'em," Levi huffs, shying back from the Alpha's touch, "I'm in bent heat. Just gotta wait it out."

"Levi... Levi, you can't just _wait it out_ , it'll be painful and could mess with your cycle," Erwin tries to reason, but Levi hisses at him through gritted teeth.

"What the _fuck_ am I supposed to do? Grab any random asshole and let them mate me? Not fucking likely," he spits out, not even caring for politeness as he spoke to the Pack Leader.

Erwin barely looks phased though, an understanding expression crossing his face which deepens into a frown when Levi whimpers and collapses sideways, clutching at his stomach. He refuses to let himself think too much into the fact that it was most definitely Erwin in his dream, bending him in half and breeding him hard. _No, don't let yourself hang on it. It was a stupid dream. He's the first unmated Alpha you've come across in a while._

As he buries his nose into the blanket to try and calm his huffing, he flicks his eyes up to the Alpha. It must be late in the refuge now; the Alpha wore no shirt and thick pajama pants, and Levi spies food left on the chest of drawers behind him – Kuchel must have gone to sleep elsewhere.

And then he notices. As he lets his eyes fall over the blonde's body, eying him warily, he sees the scar – red and straining at his skin – crossing from his right shoulder down to his left obliques. Had Levi been in a rational state of mind, he perhaps would've considered how he knew about the scar without first seeing it, or what it could mean that he saw it. But he isn't of sound mind, and right now his mind is racing with snapshots of the raw power of the man in that dream.

"What if you fuck me?"

The calm complexion of Erwin's melts into one of shock, and he stares down at the Omega, leaving silence between them in which Levi can _feel_ his heartbeat against his chest. For a moment, he sees resistence wavering in the blue eyes, and he fears the embarrassment that would come with being turned down.

"Levi... I don't think I-you just said... You can't make a decision like that," he whispers.

"I'm not saying you need to knot me, you fuck," Levi growls, eyes narrowing, "I'm saying fuck me through this damn heat. That's if you don't mind smelling like me for a while."

"Levi..."

"Look, Erwin, I promised I'd do everything to protect this pack, but if this heat fucks me up, I won't be able to," the raven grits out, "Just... _please_. I'm _begging_ you, and I don't beg. It's so fucking painful."

"I want you to promise me something, Levi," the Alpha murmurs, and already his voice is dropping into one of sheer dominance, "You won't think too much or too little of this. I don't do this... _favour_ , for anyone. But you interest me. So I want you to promise that you will come to me if you want more, because I've known you barely an hour and every part of me insists that I keep you."

Between his chattering teeth and shuddering thighs, Levi feels his heart clench. No Alpha had ever shown such an honest interest in him – no Alpha had ever controlled themselves so eloquently in the face of heat. And though Erwin gave no scent, Levi can tell he's holding back just as much as any other Alpha would, and should.

"I promise," he gasps out, "Just-please, fuck, I can't take it anymore."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promises smut soon, but this definitely more of a set up (and I'm a slut for Levi begging Erwin to knot him only for it to lead to them being mates). Smut will be the whole next chapter, I promise! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no summary because this is smut and a little fluff. Enjoy yourselves~  
> Also I'll be away for a week from tomorrow, so I'll try to get at least one chapter posted while I'm away <3  
> Thank you for all your support!  
> New tumblr: space-vvolf

It is not what he expected, that much is for sure.

Levi expects brutality in the face of his offer, his submission. He expects to be pinned, dominated, fucked. But, when the Alpha first moves, it's to lay a warm, firm hand on the Omega's hip – even such an innocent touch has Levi's body coiling upwards. The deep voice is cooing to him from somewhere so distant in his mind, and he strives to focus on it, to keep his control. Every instinct screams to let go and simply submit.

_Bare your neck. Whimper for him. Expose your stomach. Submit._

"We will go at the pace you wish, Levi," the Alpha's words contraict all that is in Levi's head, "And you must stop me if you need to. You're safe with me, I swear."

_No, no-no-no- those aren't the words I need. You're not my mate. Don't care for me. Just help me. Please._

The hand slides up, and God does Levi gasp because that is the same hand – the same, secure touch – from his dream, and when the soft palm meets his ribs, he moans. Erwin smiles as the Omega falls apart at such little touches, and he'd be a stone cold liar if he even tries to deny that he wants to let himself overpower Levi. But he can't; he can't risk distressing the Omega.

"That's it, Levi, just relax for me," the Alpha croons, moving himself closer to Levi so his hands can peel the damp shirt up from his skin.

Levi complies, pulling it roughly over his head and tossing it aside, baring his body for the Alpha. Shivers creep through him like bugs when Erwin groans, both hands coming to touch the raven's body; but, instead of invasive, rough touching – which Levi anticipated – it's soft, tender, calloused pads of fingers tracing steadily across scars.

"Beautiful," murmurs Erwin.

"Please," Levi whimpers, arching up into the Alpha's touch when the hand roams across his chest, and he doesn't muffle the yelp that comes when Erwin's thumb brushes across his nipple. The blonde pauses after the noise Levi makes, waiting for his chest to stop stuttering before he tries again, earning more delicious noises from the Omega. 

"Stop teasing," the Omega huffs, "I need it. It's starting to hurt."

_God_ , he can hear the growl that rumbles in Erwin's chest, and can barely contain his excited moaning and writhing when fingers curl around the hem of his trousers and underwear, sliding them down slowly. Chest heaving, Levi feels himself closing up, panicknig – he's never been so bare before anyone before, but Erwin is there. The blonde stoops low, catches Levi's mouth in an almost tender kiss, and lets him be distracted.

"You too," he mumbles onto the Alpha's lips.

This time, Levi indulges himself in watching Erwin undress rather than allow himself to dwell on his own nakedness. His eyes trail hungrily up and down the Alpha's body – whittled to perfection, the dusting of light hair and trailing, white scars. The one emblazoned across his chest is ethereally brighter than before, more potent against Erwin's skin. Levi finds himself lapping at his dry lips as he watches the pajama pants fall from those sculpted hips.

Powerful thighs – in fact, legs that are all muscle, and Levi forces himself to look right down to the Alpha's feet before daring lift his gaze again. A gasp, needy and sharp, rushes from his mouth as he spies the bulge in the Alpha's underwear.

"Like what you see?" Erwin smiles, crawling back onto the bed to settle between Levi's parted thighs, hands running along the sensitive flesh between them.

Air is pushed from Levi's lungs, head falling limp to the pillows as the intimate touch takes him by surprise. The fingers sneak up, splaying over his groin, press just below his stomach where his insides are cushioned, swelling with the need to be mated. Then, they're closing around his cock, and Levi feels the heat push from his loins right up to his throat. When he glances down, the sheer fact that he sees how Erwin can easily wrap a hand around him has him squirming. The soft whimper he releases tells Erwin all he needs to know.

"Slight size kink there, Levi?"

"Shut the fuck up," spits back the Omega, but a squeeze makes him moan and rut up his hips. 

"Now now, play nice," the Alpha murmurs, playfully, and where words like that otherwise might have scared Levi, here they are calm and bring a bubble of laughter into his chest, even letting him loosen up enough to let out a small snort.

"I won't play nice unless you hurry the fuck up," Levi hisses, flashing a grin but not fully looking at Erwin.

The expression melts when he hears the Alpha's moan. Lifting his head from the pillows again, he glances down the length of his body and lets a small curse out of his mouth. Erwin's other hand has vanished from the Omega's leg and is busied working his own cock. Levi is practically transfixed; his greedy eyes follow each roll of the Alpha's foreskin, and it takes only a few strokes for him to be completely hard. He's both thicker and longer than Levi, and the size comparison as it rests next to the Omega's lean thigh is almost startling. Levi spends a while - perhaps too long - taking it in, from the veins bulging at the underside to the wet tip before he finally is able to speak.

"Jesus," he pants, and he doesn't miss the smirk on Erwin's mouth.

"Erwin is just fine," he chuckles, leaning down over Levi.

The Omega swats at his arm, making the both of them laugh gently and tension unfurls a little from Levi's spine. The laughter dies as quickly as it rose, lost in gasps and moans when the Alpha so carefully and purposefully rocks his hips into Levi, who can feel the heavy, hot press of the cock into his inner thigh. Hissing through his teeth, the Omega dares drag his nails down Erwin's arms, head tilted back instinctually.

"I won't mark you," Erwin whispers into his neck, lips leaving light kisses, "You have to save that for your mate."

Nodding numbly, Levi locks his legs around the Alpha's strong hips, encouraging his grinding that is rubbing Levi in all the right places. Already, his head is swimming from the stimulation of it all, and his glands swell his thick and tense in his jowls, the skin reddening. When the fog clears, he returns the Alpha's movements, rolling his body along with Erwin's and finding the flow of it every bit as comforting as it is arousing. Safe – that's what he feels.

Then comes another moan from Erwin, teeth grazing up the chord of muscle in Levi's neck, and both of them tense up. Levi, because the Alpha's bite came so close to his gland, and Erwin because he feels the damp between Omega's legs. Erwin pulls back a little, eyes fixed on where their groins rub together, lewd noises of slick skin connecting making him shudder above Levi.

"Fucking hell, you smell good," he hisses, looking back up to Levi.

"You too," huffs the Omega.

"Levi, I don't-"

"I know," Levi cuts him off sharply, "I don't mean that. I mean-" he pauses to lean in, snuffling at the curve of Erwin's neck, "-you still have a smell. Deep and safe. I like it."

Whatever noise it is that Erwin let out at the Omega's statement, it's powerful and full of emotion and grips Levi's core so hard he whimpers. The mask of the Alpha slips away a little, and when their eyes meet, Erwin's hips come to a stop, leaving Levi to wriggle and plead.

"Come _on_ ," he begs, not wanting this emotion to drag out, in case he began caring, " _Please_ , Erwin-Alpha."

"Levi," sighs Erwin.

Merely the way he says it is enough to encase Levi in fear, and his hips too fall still, waiting.

"Levi, I'm not going to have sex with you," he murmurs, reaching up to lay a hand on Levi's hair, "I'm sorry but I-I don't want to risk losing control and knotting in you. No matter how strong my will power, I don't want to risk taking this from you."

Levi's chest lurches with a retch, and he suddnely finds himself feeling very trapped and vulnerable, two things he has come to hate. He scrabbles, nails leaving scores down the Alpha's skin, but Erwin loops his arms beneath the Omega and presses his face into the slender neck.

"Shh, Levi, shh," he whispers, and the breath so close to his glands makes Levi fall still, "I'm right here, Levi, I'm going to help, but I'm not your mate, so I don't want to fuck you, alright?"

Still gasping lightly, Levi nods, pushing gently on Erwin's chest until he pulls back. The blonde watches him closely, glad to see the panic in Levi's eyes quelling so easily in his grasp. He feathers the Omega's forehead in kisses, calming him more, until the naked chest pressed against his falls evenly instead.

"Believe me, Levi," he soothes, eyes dark with lust once more, "You are _beyond_ attractive, _delicious_ even, and – fuck – your smell is incredible. The moment I saw you, I wanted you, and _no one_ has ever moved me so deeply. I was trained to keep my attraction contained, so it wasn't a distraction or a weakness, but now-now I don't want to hold it in."

_Stop it_ , Levi thinks helplessly, _Stop talking like that... like you truly want me. Please..._

"You're beautiful, Levi, and strong and true and everything someone could want in a mate, but I am not that person."

_You are! You are! Just-take me! Please!_

"Just help me," Levi whimpers breathily, "I get it – I get why you can't, but _please_ , please help me."

"Don't worry, little one," shivers run up Levi's back at the use of that name, "I plan to."

His grinding begins to firmly, so deeply, Levi's body is pushed back into submission easier than he's ever felt it before. He arches, and all of Erwin's words and his own worries are forgotten. Lips catch his again, teeth claiming the flesh and leaving bruises no doubt. And, _God_ , Erwin just keeps muttering about how beautiful, how heavenly, how exquisite Levi is until it's almost too much for the little Omega to bear.

"More-I need more," Levi rasps, baring his neck and trying desperately to rut up his hips into Erwin, "Please-please-please."

He barely even has the time to finish his pleading before an arm below his back moves, making Levi's body curve as it traces down him. The hand curls beneath his left thigh, hoisting Levi's leg higher so he could reach deeper.

"Oh _fuck_ ," the Alpha breathes out into Levi's neck, his fingers dipping into the wetness in the cleft of Levi's ass.

Levi's cheeks blaze with the embarrassment of being so subdued, vulnerable and horny for the Alpha, but with the way it is easing the pain of his heat, Levi can barely care for more than a few seconds. And he certainly can't care when he feels one of those thick fingers grazing across his hole. Up into the Alpha, he bucks, moaning so loudly it trembles between his ribs and in his gullet. 

"Relax," Erwin breathes out, "Relax, Levi."

Levi does as he is told – a long, shaky breath leaves his mouth which makes him loosen his muscles, and Erwin takes full advantage to push his finger in, not stopping until his knuckles graze Levi's ass. The second the tip of his finger brushes the tight bundle of nerves deep within the Omega, Levi loses all of his control. 

A moan – bordering on a scream – breaches his lips as the orgasm seeps through him. At first, it is liquid fire, purging the possible fear from his veins. Then it is electricity, pushing through him in short, sharp pulses, spasming his muscles as wet heat spreads across his abdomen. The crackle of light behind his eyes dies down just in time to feel the last, erratic thrust from Erwin into his hip, and – while he didn't expect the Alpha to cum too – he didn't mind in the slightest watching that handsome face contort with pleasure, a soft groan passing the Alpha's lips.

"Fuck," he breathes out softly, leaning to press his lips to Levi's. 

A pathetic whine rises from the Omega as he is kissed, one last spark searing through him that allows him to return it. In the moment that Erwin mumbles something about getting a warm cloth to clean Leviwith, the Omega decides.

He does care. And, eventually, he will seek more. This heat won't end until he is mated, and as he gazes with a smirk at Erwin's bare backside as he wanders into the adjoining bathroom, he knows the Alpha has piqued his interest in the most fervent of ways.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has their weaknesses, their follies and their downfalls, but when in the face of pure peril and the threat of being smoked out rises, can anyone, regardless of their rank, rise to the challenge of defending what they love?

There is tremendous bustle following the announcement; after so long of trying and casting out failed experiments to be guard dogs, the serum was finally successful. _Completely_ successful. Rumors of 'another Erwin' spread like dragonfire through a forest, but tongues are quickly silenced when each member of the Pack gathers in the hall to see she who everyone is so excited about.

She stands before Zackly. She is the pinnacle of what it is to be a soldier. Reborn as a cornucopia of aggression, fearlessness and sheer strength. She is his winning dog, from the lines of dangerous muscle that show beneath her skin to the expression void of everything, yet somehow angry and eager.

"Who are you?" he asks, but he needn't.

"Soldier seventeen."

Her response is programmed. Ingrained. 

"Who do you serve?"

"Pack Zackly and all it's members genetic ranking Beta and exceeding."

A murmur of approval from the crowd. 

"What will you do should you encounter any Smith's pack?"

"Exterminate all life. Burn the bodies to cover scent traces. Bury the ashes on our perimeter."

Nods, all around, and greedy grins.

"What will you do should you encounter Levi Ackerman?"

"Levi Ackerman, Genetic Rank Omega, is part of Smith's pack. Protocol applies also to him."

"What will you do, seventeen?" presses the Pack Leader.

"Exterminate him. Burn his body to cover scent traces. Bury the ashes on our perimeter."

She never even twitches.

Zackly is beaming devilishly, as are the group of scientists collected to view the successful soldier. She is a spectacle among a war-hardened, brutal pack, and gazes all fixate upon her. Some shift to Zackly when he stands, wandering towards her, eyes narrowed but grin still leering. Breaths are held, baited, as he comes nose-to-nose with her.

"Who am I, seventeen?"

"God."

 

* 

 

He panics.

Waking to the feeling of someone beside him in bed makes Levi jolt into fight or flight. He scrabbles beneath the covers – not even disturbing the snoring heap at his side – and tips over the edge of the bed. A curse tumbles ungainly from his mouth when his arse smacks into the cold wooden floor, but the light snoring carries on. Levi sniffs, long and deep, but smells nothing aside the mollified heat coming from himself.

As he sits in a bundle of blankets and fret on the floor, the memories begin to trickle back into his head, and the still body beneath the covers soon makes sense. _Erwin_.

He scents once more, letting his fine senses work their magic. Firewood and sweetbread, that's what he can smell about the Alpha, who lifted his everchanging scent this time from the dwindling fire and the food from Kuchel he had encouraged the Omega to eat before they fell asleep. Something about Erwin taking his smell from whatever was around him fascinated Levi; he could be anything he pleased, and yet exactly what Levi needed at the time. He would always smell... _familiar._

Silently, Levi clambers back onto the mattress, keeping a distance from the Alpha though. He watches, perched on his knees, as the blonde whistles in his sleep. He lays sprawled on his back, chin to collar bone, one arm that had probably been holding Levi stretched above his head. Levi peers at the skin of the Alpha's chest that is bared, and with a whimper he will never admit to, he wriggles closer to tuck himself into the comfortable nook that is Erwin's side.

Something is mumbled out of the Alpha's mouth as he sleeps, the presence at his side making him shift and wrap his stray arm around the Omega. The mewl that leaves Levi at such a warm, safe embrace is not one that will be heard beyond this room. He must be stoic, composed and powerful in the face of his new pack, not the needy Omega who presses into the scentless Alpha's side, nuzzles at his firm chest.

A soft groan leaves Erwin's mouth, and Levi can feel it in his cheek, rumbling in the Alpha's chest. Comforting, soothing, then fading out into the sound and thud of his heart which only serves to push Levi back into his sated state. The panic rose and quelled in the space of only a few minutes, and, in such an intimate and trusting manner, he falls asleep in the hold of an Alpha.

This time, he is safe.

This time, he can trust.

 

*

 

Eren stalks along the woodland path, Mike and Moblit flanking him. They smelt the hunters a mile off, and were not willing to let them go without a fight. Two traps had been spotted, much to far into their borders for it to be a simple mistake, and both had been torn down. Eren's gut twists with bile and fury – it was one thing to tolerate another pack for the sake of hunting together, but to openly wander across a territory border and hunt in their land? Eren had surged with rage when he first heard, and only Armin's soft voice and close scent calmed him enough to be let out on patrol with Mike and Moblit.

"Eren, it's getting late," Mike states.

They have come to a halt in the hem of woodland that borders the town, only a few hundred feet from the territorial perimeter. The two Alphas and Omega linger in the darkness, eyes keenly watching the town for any sign of the straggle of hunters.

"We should be heading back," the taller Alpha prompts, "They'll have run home by now."

"No," snaps Eren, glaring at Mike, "I won't let those bastards get away with this! How dare they try to steal food from our pack."

"Mike's right," Moblit nods, rubbing at his eyes in an effort to stay alert, "We can bring a whole party and scent our borders strongly tomorrow, but it's too dark and too cold to do anything. They didn't catch anything, and their traps are gone now. We've done all we can."

Eren won't stand for it. He paces the hem of the forest, snarling so low his throat vibrates. There's just no way he can let this slide – he'll camp out here all damn night if he must, alone, to make sure his pack is safe from poachers and Others alike.

Moblit makes himself comfortable in the twisted roots of an oak, Mike soon settling after him and the two huffing into their hands to keep them warm. Eren continues his angered striding, head constantly turned so his eyes can scan the darkness, though he can see little. He let a situation like this slide before, and knowing now it could happen all over again brings a bout of self-loathing and unbridled anger into the Alpha's chest.

 _It was my fault they died,_ he thinks bitterly, _We didn't have enough food. He wasn't healthy enough. My fault. I can't let it happen again, not now Armin is-_

"Eren."

It's Mike. He pulls the Alpha back with a simple hand to the shoulder, and Eren's defences fall quickly.

"We're going to head back." 

It's a statement, not a question. Not something Eren can easily argue with.

"It's late and cold. I'll keep watch tonight to make sure they don't come back, but Armin needs you by his side. You being out here will only stress him out."

The mention of his mate's name is all it takes for Eren to relent. From his anger and the ruined cityscape, he backs away, into the shadows where Moblit and Mike head for the den. Mike was right, painfully so; Mike _understood_.

"How is Nanaba coping?" he asks softly as they retrace the path.

"She's doing good," Mike nods, "Not many cramps, but she tells me a little pain is okay. Means the little one is alive and kicking in there. Hanji's sure it's a boy, but we'll see. Naba wants a girl."

"Either way, you'll be great parents," the brunet Alpha smiles, recieving one back.

"And so will you."

Mike can't help but chuckle. As soon as he and the other two arrive back at the refuge, Eren tosses down his coat and bolts up the stairs, seeking out his mate and his whines can be heard even in the foyer when he finally gets to his room.

Armin slept silently, spread out across the old leather couch in the mates' den, and Eren is careful not to wake him. He, the normally bolshie and live-aloud Alpha, took caution to be silent as he pads across to kneel by his mate. The Omega has a hand resting instinctually on his slightly swollen belly, fingers splayed in protection and comfort.

Eren reaches for that slender, pale hand and rests his own over the top. He won't feel anything for months, and neither will Armin, but to know the pup is in there makes Eren's heart swell. He whimpers happily, snuffling at Armin's hips and lower stomach that are squishy and soft with the swell of his womb. 

_He must've worked hard hours with Hanji today,_ Eren thinks, for his nuzzling barely disturbs the Omega, _I shouldn't wake him._

A thick, woolen throw is lain over the Omega, and Eren retreats to bed, not wanting his scent to rouse his mate. Despite being two months along and the pup growing quickly – Eren had been sure to scavenge as far afield from the refuge as he had to for the most nutritious food for his mate – Armin insists to no end that he helps in the labs as much as possible.

The creation of the Others takes its toll on the whole pack, not just the Veterans. The broiling threat they are always lingers like a sour aftertaste in the back of everyone's throats. On nights when unfortunate souls wander too deep into the woods, their hollers keep the entire pack awake, and Eren remains awake until morning light, rifle at his side and one hand on Armin's stomach while the Omega sleeps.

The Alpha thinks of Levi then.

Levi, who was attacked by the Others. Who's cousin died by them. And yet there were no hollers. No screams that kept the pack awake. Eren reminds himself to ask Levi of this: did they scream? Did they jabber? Did it feel like sharp nails raking the inside of his skull?

No... no he couldn't. Levi, no doubt, is still grieving, so Eren forces those questions from his head. Levi has part of his family back now, but Eren has his own to consider.

Eren turns to watch his mate sleep by the light of fire lapping in the hearth. Soon, he will have his own family, and he will continue to protect them until his last breath, from the Others and from anyone who dare deny him his child.

"I love you," he whispers into the dark.

This time, he speaks to two people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was short and cramped, I needed to get a few exposition points out before the chaos that is the next chapter. I'm sure you can all make some educated guesses eluding to two things I've mentioned here, but lets see how you fare! Enjoy <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a hole in Levi's story that Hanji can't help but find curious, but when they confront Kuchel about the oddity, truth comes spilling out faster than they would like. All the pack have been told of Kuchel and Levi's history is a lie; the truth is much more dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry I've been MIA for so long, but I was dragged out of the SNK fandom by my ankles and promptly thrown into Dragon Age. Plus I've recently started at Uni so things have been hectic. But I'll hopefully start updating this more again so while I'm here, have some more juicy information on this story! I hope you enjoy <3

"Now say 'aaaah'," the doctor instructs.

After being sent through his paces on a treadmill and assessed in precision with weapons, the Omega had been directed to a lab in the basement of the refuge. Levi had been sat close to an hour on the steel table letting the brunet poke and prod and peer at him through glasses that looked more like goggles. Blood tests, vaccines, swabs; the whole nine yards to assess Levi's health, which – asides the worsening bouts of heat – was near-perfect.

"Huh-that's weird," the Beta grumbles as they peer into his throat, "You have no uvula and your throat isn't showing the normal muscular contractions of a gag reflex."

Curious, at best, but nothing life-threatening, so the remark goes straight over Levi's head. He pulls a face when the Beta Hanji finally removes the flat stick that had been holding down the Omega's tongue. He never liked medical exams in the first place, but given some he was put through as an Omega, this was the least invasive he'd experienced.

"You given any more thought on taking the suppressants?" Hanji asks as they bumble about the lab, "It'll really help, especially if you plan on going outisde the den. At least until you can get yourself a mate."

"And if I don't want a mate?" Levi cocks his head with a scowl.

"Then you'll definitely have to take suppressants," Hanji sighs, "Even though everyone here is under strict rule when it comes to heat, particularly in how our Alphas conduct themselves around phasing Omegas, not having overpowering pheremones filling the refuge always helps people be alert and safe."

Soaking in the details, Levi sits silently while the doctor finishes up. They scrawl notes occasionally about the Omega, but nothing of concern arises it seems. They put a few bottles of pills into a brown bag for him – vitamins, mild tranquilisers, anxiety medication – before taking a seat. There was a telltale sign that they needed to explain something – possibly something grave – in the way they lean forward in their chair and remove their glasses.

"You said you sometimes get overwhelmed by noises?" they ask softly. 

"What are you, a psychiatrist now?" Levi scoffs, but the Beta only scowls at him.

"The brain is an organ, Levi, so it can get sick in the same way the rest of your organs can," Hanji explains slowly, "And pack safety here is not just about physical health. A lot of our memebers have suffered severe trauma and continue to feel the effects of mild to dangerous PTSD."

Levi sighs. Was he really so obvious? He never thought it as obvious, but being with only Mikasa for so long, he'd clearly let his ticks surface more. The twitch in his right hand that often led to scraping away the skin from around his nails. He turns his head unnaturally quickly when loud noises occur near him. Left hand being the strongest, it always reached for his bow as soon as he felt threatened, even if it wasn't with him.

"I don't know... why my body is like this," the Omega sighs, "I panic and have night terrors and hate loud noises and feel suffocated sometimes and I... I just don't know why."

"This is what we call sensory overload," Hanji nods, "It's common among people who have suffered in any way and is easily managable so long as you don't give in to how it makes you feel. Did anything happen when you were little? Before the war?"

They're searching for something they already know. Levi can tell in their voice, even if he can't figure out what it is they know. The way the Beta speaks is odd; they're quiet, gentle, not the bolshie person who had done the medical exam up until this point.

"My dad left..." Levi admits, "But nothing ever came of it except me and mum getting closer. She probably already told you that we lived in New Orleans since I was three. Nothing really happened there. I graduated high school and college, started working with mum while I looked for a job after that... Nothing happened that I know was... 'damaging', but I..."

"It's alright, Levi," the Beta smiles, shaking their head, "If nothing happened, then I'm sure it's just the affect the new world has had on you. I know you escaped the city with only your cousion, so no doubt you were surrounded by a lot of fighting and death.  
This is your body naturally recovering now you're in a safe environment. Just, take your tablets and try to relax in your new home, alright? And if you ever need me, just ask one of the vets for 'shitty-glasses'. They'll know who you're talking about."

 

\- - -

 

"You made these?" Levi asks as he watches Eren untying the trap where the deer had been caught.

"Yep," the Alpha grins, "Me and Mike set 'em up and they give us a few deer in a month. We've started moving the traps North now since the caribou'll be coming through soon."

To the snowy floor, the deer falls with a cushioned thud. Levi moves in to begin binding its front and back legs together while Eren cuts down the trap without damaging it. The deer looks less than healthy as its hipbones jut out even beneath the thick winter coat. But, meat is meat, and it would have to do for a hungry pack.

"I'm taking it you're pretty used to hunting alone then?" Eren asks as he helps Levi bind the deers legs. The question makes the Omega feel a lurch in the pit of his stomach, and his hands falter in their work.

"Shit, no," Eren sighs, "I meant because you use a bow and arrow. Nanaba used to hunt like that and she always said hunting alone was best because you can be so silent."

"Most people are too loud," Levi nods, "Even if they think they're being quiet, they really aren't. It's not all about not snapping twigs or rustling leaves. You have to learn to disappear into the woodland."

Eren has stopped working, instead gazing at the Omega and listening with a slightly cocked head. Sometimes, Levi spoke in cryptic ways – he knows that – but to him, being silent in the woods is common sense. The Alpha soon returns to lashing the deer onto the pole they used to carry the kills. With huffs and curses, the two hoist the pole onto their shoulders, carrying the weight of the deer, four rabbits and a hook of thirteen trouts between them as they head back through the woodland to the refuge.

 

\- - -

 

"I'm so glad he's doing okay," Kuchel sighs.

The Omega mother had brought the doctor a mug of thick soup to will away the cold down in the basement. They sit, Kuchel holding a cup of steaming tea as she reads over Hanji's notes on Levi.

"He's getting some sensory overload, and probably will experience symptoms of PTSD, but nothing that we can't handle," the Beta smiles, "He's in perfect health otherwise. Plenty of good meat and water and he'll be in top form soon, which is surprising for someone who's lived out there for three years."

"He's always been a fighter," the Omega hums proudly, "Just like his father. I wish they could've met."

Hanji quirks their head a little at that, replaying the sentence over and over in moments of silence between the two pack members. Something didn't sit right about what Kuchel just said, so the doctor goes to collect the personal files from a filing cabinet. Leafing through to Levi's page, their brow scrunches more.

"Kuchel..." they murmur, making the dark-haired lady glance up worriedly, "Levi told me his father left when he was three, then you moved to New Orleans. That's where he grew up, went to school, college. You had a tea shop?"

Kuchel looks terrified all too suddenly. The sight of her face, falling into one of fear and despair, makes Hanji's stomach coil in worry. Setting down the files on their desk, they take a seat again and reach over to lay a hand gently on the Omega's. With a deep sigh, Kuchel lowers her head, eyes squeezed shut. Her free hand lifts to run shaky fingers through slightly tousled locks, and Hanji knows something is seriously wrong.

"We never had any of that," Kuchel sighs, shaking her head, "Levi doesn't remember... anything. I fed him those stories when he was sixteen."

"Kuchel," Hanji soothes, "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything that happened."  
Nodding slowly, the Omega allows herself a long, slow breath before she begins to tell Hanji the truth.

"Levi was born in New Orleans, in a hospital. We never lived in France. His father died months before he was born, and he was a horrid man. He did unspeakable things; had me injected with cocktail drugs to try and kill my baby, beat me until I nearly miscarried... He just... He never wanted Levi, and for some time, neither did I. But when I ended up in hospital and gave birth three weeks early-when I saw his tiny body in that incubator, struggling for life, I knew he was all I had left.

"He got through it. He was tough, just like my dad. He still is, and I vowed I'd raise him as a good person. Better than his father. But he-he was so, so sick. Those first three years he spent in hospital because his body just wasn't ready for the world, being born so young. The drugs I had put in me, the ones I already had in me, the ones I put in myself... They almost killed him inside me, and once he was here, I had to pay for it.

"I couldn't afford all the treatment for him. By his third time being rushed into A-and-E for heart palpitations, I was broke and so deep in debt there was no hope, for either of us. He was put on life support that night, and I sat by his cot, wondering if I could break into the store rooms and find enough medication to kill us both with. He wasn't going to make it, and after him, I'd have no life left."

By now, Kuchel was such a mess she couldn't even sit up straight, and Hanji fetched her tissues, seat pulled up close to her side. 

"So you told him those first three years he was with his father and you in France?" they ask softly.

"No! I... yes, yes I did but he... it was so much more complicated than that," Kuchel sobs, "He didn't remember anything when I found him again."

"I don't understand, Kuchel," Hanji pleads, "I promise you, I won't tell anyone about this unless I really need to, and I'd never tell Levi. So long as he gets better, this doesn't need to be known."

"We were in there for two weeks when I knew neither of us could go on any longer and I was ready to pull the plug... for both of us. Then this-this man came in. Just stood at the end of the bed for a while, not saying a word, looking at my baby with all the tubes and wires and IV's. He told me he was here to help us, because he knew that I had no money and Levi didn't have long left to live. He wasn't getting worse, but he wasn't getting better. He came from a private clinic, just out of state, that offered a new treatment for children in Levi's state. The whole thing had just come into human testing, so there was no guarantee that he would make it through the treatment. 

"He spoke at me so much, all about scientific stuff I didn't understand but nothing sounded dangerous. It was case of he will or won't take to the treatment. But what choice did I have? He was three, barely alive and the hospital would pull the plug soon anyway once all my loans had run dry. This place was free, residential, and out in the country. If it didn't work, he could die in peace. 

"I don't know what they were giving him. In hindsight, I should've asked. It was some sort of injection he took once a week into his thigh, and it cured him. Plain and simple. Cured. Within a year. I wanted to take him home, but they insisted I stay. That was their loophole – the injections cured him quickly, but he had to keep taking them to build up an immunity. They kept increasing a dosage of something, until he was on eighty five percent of this particular part. No one else had an increase, but they just kept telling me he was taking to it exceptionally well.

"He was fourteen when the changes started. He never took ill, to anything. No matter how close to a disease or virus he came, he never caught it. His heats became stronger as he grew up, but he could always control them. He'd only let his scent out in the house, and it was so thick it could stifle even me. Broken bones healed within two weeks, scars always faded, he barely even bled anymore, as though some... ethereal force was keeping it inside of him, to keep him safe. Whatever they were giving him, they were doing it because he was doing more than just improving. He was genetically changing. Becoming stronger in a way they never even thought was possible.

"At sixteen, they took him off the injections and sent us to a residential halls south of the city for him to recover under observation, and that's where we met Mikasa. I'd never met any of her side of the family, but of course, when he found out her second name, he went hunting. They're cousins, god knows how many times removed, but when he discovered this, the whole fantasy started falling apart. He forgot the hospitals, the private clinic, the injections. I had Mikasa help me create a fantasy life for him, so he never went searching for answers even I was scared to look for.

"Mikasa came with us when we left. She hadn't taken to the treatment as well as Levi, but she was better than when they first took her in. When Levi turned twenty, it all fell apart again. We recreated the fantasy to the one he told you, but this time he'd graduated college and decided to work with me at the tea shop, that way I could keep an eye on him.

"I never meant to lie to him for all those years, and I can't imagine what he'd think of me now, but he has to know that I'm sorry for it someday. That everything I did, I only did to protect him. Because my baby was dying in that hospital bed and I couldn't keep him alive myself, so I had to give his life to someone else. They saved him, made him stronger and healthier and more talented. Sometimes he scared me, but he was and is always my Levi. I was helping at the hospital when he and Mikasa had to escape the fighting, and I never thought I'd see him again... Ever..."

Hanji had been listening patiently, soothing the den mother with gentle strokes to her back, brushing hair back from her face, cooing quietly. They hand over the cup of tea again, encouraging Kuchel to drink, rest, breathe. Of course, the Beta has a thousand questions for Kuchel, but one lingers on their tongue that they simply must know the answer to.

"Kuchel, do you remember who the private clinic were? The name the man gave you when you first met?" they ask softly.

There's a pocket, hand-stitched, onto the inside of Kuchel's sweater – Hanji knows she always keeps a photograph of her and Levi on the beach in there. But, when the Omega reaches in and pulls two pieces of paper out, Hanji feels things beginning to click into place. Over to the doctor, Kuchel hands a faded business card, so old the tough paper had now gone flimsy and had to be unfolded with careful hands.

"He said he was from SRM. Sina-Rose-Maria. A government project funded for the sole purpose of testing new medical advances not open to the general public," Kuchel explains sofly.

Hanji feels their stomach drop into the very pits of Hell as they read the name, over and over. True to their cautionary attitudes, their worst fears are slowly being realised.


End file.
